


With Fronds Like These

by nightchandac



Series: Bluegil [3]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Spoilers, endgame spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-07 22:24:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11068335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightchandac/pseuds/nightchandac
Summary: ...who needs anemones? (idk how to title shit sorry)Being Pathfinder is hard work and Ryder decides he and Gil need a break.  Ryder's sister has some words she needs to exchange with her brother.  I'm bad a summaries.  And titles.





	With Fronds Like These

Zack Ryder shifted in his sleep, crinkling his nose and grumbling something incoherent against Gil’s shoulder.  They were on their way back to the Nexus for a much-needed break and Zack had settled next to Gil on the sofa in his quarters as the man read a book, the relaxing, ambient music in the background making Zack suddenly very sleepy.  He woke with a deep sigh, blinking the sleep from his eyes and he whined when Gil shifted, making his head fall forward.

 

“Mornin’, sleepyhead,” came Gil’s amused voice.

 

“There’s no morning in space,” Zack replied and stretched with a groan.  “How much longer?”

 

Gil chuckled and set his book aside.  “So impatient.”  He pulled Zack in to sit in his lap, running his fingers through bright blue hair.  They kissed briefly and Gil pulled back to answer.  “Only a few more hours, I think.  We still have some time to kill.”  

 

Zack gave him a sleepy smile and kissed him again before standing and holding his hand out to help Gil up.  “Mm, I think we should take this to the bed.”

 

“Really?  In your state?” Gil asked, raising an eyebrow incredulously.  

 

Zack gave him a smirk and led him to the bed, collapsing onto the soft mattress and immediately burying his face in his pillow, pulling the hood of his sweatshirt up.  “Yeah.  Beds are best for sleeping.”

 

Gil let out a bark of laughter and curled up next to him, throwing a blanket over both of them.  “Right you are.”

 

\-----

 

Taking a deep breath of the air in hydroponics, Zack threw his arm over Gil’s shoulders and squeezed.  “Finally.  Time to just relax.”

 

“Yeah, still don’t know why you picked _the Nexus_ _of all places_ for a break, but I’m with you.”  Gil laced his fingers with Zack’s and leaned into his touch.

 

Zack smiled sheepishly.  “Okay, fine.  I wanted to see my sister.  After everything, I know she’s itching to get back out there but she’s still not cleared for duty yet.”  

 

Gil let out an amused snort.  “I know.  You’ve never been good at bluffing me, Ryder.  I can read you like a book.”

 

“Well at least  _ pretend _ I’m full of surprises and secrets.  I wanna be mysterious…”  Zack pouted.

 

“Oh, I’m sure there’s plenty of things I don’t know about you yet.”  He took Zack’s hand and led the way to the med bay where Zack’s twin sister, Katie, was currently staying.  ‘Being held’ was what she liked to call it.

 

As the door to Katie’s private room slid open, they had a split second to duck to avoid being hit by something flying at their heads.  When they looked down, they saw it was her pillow.  Zack laughed as he picked it up, ready to throw it back at her when he saw her face.  Something clearly upset her.

 

“ _ Zackery Larson Ryder!” _ she shouted.

 

Zack felt himself blush deeply.

 

“Larson?” Gil whispered, amused.

 

Zack smacked him with the pillow.  “Shut up.”  He turned to his sister.  “Katie, what’s--”

 

“You  _ ass _ .  When were you gonna tell me you  _ died? _ ”

 

Zack opened his mouth to speak, but snapped it shut when she glared at him.

 

“ _ More than once. _ ”

 

“Katie, listen, I didn’t want to upset you.  You were going through your own stuff, so I thought maybe it would be best if you never found out about that…” He trailed off, noticing how Gil moved a little closer to him, offering a source of silent support.  

 

“That’s something I really,  _ really _ don’t want you keeping from me.  I was okay with you lying about finding a home here...but...Zack, you’re my brother.  I…”

 

“I know, I just...I’m sorry.  I’m okay.”

 

“Except the lasting effects of whatever happened to you when SAM was dark and practically begging me to save your life.”  She crossed her arms over her chest disapprovingly.

 

“Well...yeah, but I haven’t had any problems lately.”  Gil elbowed him.  “Okay, I haven’t had  _ many _ problems.  But, Katie, I swear I’m fine.”

 

“Don’t keep this shit from me, Zack.  We’re supposed to support each other; that’s what siblings do.  I can’t know how to do that if I don’t know something’s wrong.”

 

Zack sighed and pulled his sister in for a tight embrace.  “I know.  I’m sorry.  Next time I die, you’ll be the first to know.”

Suddenly, several hands were smaking him.  

 

“Ow, ow!  Okay! Sorry, bad timing!  Ow, I said sorry! Stop hitting me!” He covered his head as both Gil and Katie hit him once more.  

 

“You’re an ass, you know that?”  Katie said, lightly shoving him.

 

He smiled at her, a cheesy grin spreading across his face.  “And you love me for it.”

 

“I’m sure both of us have our reasons for loving you,” Katie replied.  “Now that that’s out of the way, can we get out of here for a little while?  I’m going crazy in here.”

 

Zack eyed her cautiously.  “You sure you’re up for moving around?”

 

“Oh,  _ now _ you’re the voice of reason.  Help me break out of here like a good little brother.”  

 

Zack chuckled and took Gil’s hand.  “All right, just follow us.  ‘She’s with the Pathfinder’ has to be a good excuse, right?”

 

“With your record and reputation...no.  We should move quickly,” Gil replied with a smirk.


End file.
